An Arranged Marriage
by Elf Knight
Summary: Disaster strikes when Prince Eragon discovers that his parents, King Brom & Queen Selena, have married him off to the elf princess Arya to form an alliance with the elves against a rising threat. But how can they when Eragon & Arya hate each other?
1. Wedding Woes

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Inheritance Cycle! It belongs to Christopher Paolini, Random House, and a bunch of other people.

**Author's Note:** Yes, yes! I know it is criminal of me to write this fanfic when I have so many others pending. However, you all know how plot-bunnies are and I had some time on my hand so I simply _had _to get it out of my head. Also, I do kind of like this story idea so I just might write more chapters if I get more ideas. I know where the basic plot is going but it's just filler chapters and other stuff that I need some help with. Anyhow, don't worry about that but do read on and enjoy.

A few things you should know about this story is that the timeline is completely AU. It's a kind of rewrite about the _Inheritance Cycle_ but is really only loosely based on the events that CP described for us in canon. Since most of the main characters are royalty, some of the events do happen in the books and a few more will be included. I'll try to keep most of the characters canon but some, like Eragon since he's a prince, will be tweaked.

Also, this is set during a tweaked version of the Golden Age of the Dragon Riders. Galbatorix has still lost his dragon to an Urgal ambush though and has currently been banished as a madman. Durza the Shade is also lurking in the background, practicing his evil cackle and devising all sorts of nefarious plots to take over the world...or destroy it! I actually meant to write about them in this chapter, but the story just wrote itself.

Don't worry, they will be included though as will some more background information of the story in the following chapters. As for the pairings, there will be standard couples like AxE, MxN, SxT, and RxK (Roran and Katrina). But considering the circumstances, that won't happen for quite some time. Well, that about sums it up and that's really all you need to know to read this fanfic. So now without any further ado, onto the first chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1:** Wedding Woes

It was well past midnight as Prince Eragon flew above the rich countryside that surrounded the Crown City of Ilerea. The youth knew he would get in huge trouble for doing something as reckless as this but right now he didn't really care.

He was pissed off!

Why was he mad? Well, for several reasons but the foremost of them was concerning an arranged marriage between him and the elvish Princess Arya.

That's right. Even though Eragon was a Dragon Rider, he was still subjected to his parents' wishes since they were the king and queen of the Empire and he was only eighteen years of age. Normally, that wouldn't be too young but Dragon Riders were immortal and he would live long past his parents.

Usually, that bothered him but he his precious female dragon, Saphira, always soothed him and washed away his worries. She was his lifeline and his comfort, the only thing that kept him from blowing his temper. Well, not entirely as he had thrown a fit at the palace when he learned of the news.

He could remember the situation as clear as a bell. It still rang in his frazzled mind and he was so wrought with worry, confusion, and anger that Eragon wondered if this wasn't all just a bad dream and he'd wake up in the next morning. Sadly, it was not a bad dream but the harsh reality that accompanied being a prince. Now he almost wished that he lived a different life like that of a naive and innocent farm-boy without a care in the world!

But he was the prince and had to do something for the Empire. It was his duty to uphold his parents' wishes and he really couldn't say no. Besides, he hadn't done very much for the Empire as the majority of his life had been spent in training as Dragon Rider with Master Oromis and the other trainers at the Vroengard, school of the Dragon Riders. Since Saphira had hatched for him at the age of nine, he had been training ever since despite being the Crown Prince.

That only made his training intensify as he had to be better than everyone else since he was the only son of King Brom and Queen Selena, of the Empire of humans, and thus the Heir to the Throne. This made things stressful for a decade and a half but he had finally been called back to Ilerea unexpectedly for a "holiday" from training. He had only been back home for a few days when his parents broke the news to him during supper.

If it had been any other woman or even elf, he would have been fine with it. But Eragon could not stand the elvish princess. She was proud, haughty, and arrogant to a fault. It was so annoying! If that wasn't bad enough, she was seventy years old by human reckoning while only about twenty by elvish years. That made him at least two or sixty-two years his senior which only enlarged her sense of self-importance. It didn't help that she was strikingly beautiful either with midnight black hair, emerald green eyes, and pale white skin.

Perhaps they could have been companions in another life, maybe even friends. He could be some sort of hero and had come to her rescue after she got imprisoned by some nefarious villain. Sadly, things didn't work that way. Like him, she was the only child of the elvish royalty, King Evandar and Queen Islanzadí. They doted on her constantly and she was rather spoilt. Since elves were better than humans at virtually everything, not to mention immortal without being a Dragon Rider, this made the princess even more proud and arrogant.

Eragon had discovered all of this on the one time when he went on an ambassadorial mission with his father to the elves to discuss an alliance. Eragon had bumped into Arya at the elvish arena while practicing swordplay with an elf named Vanir. Arya had scoffed about his training calling him inadequate. As his luck would have it, this got into a huge debate about training and eventually Dragon Riders. Technically speaking, the elves were the first race to make peace with the dragons and become their Riders.

When the humans moved to Alagaësia and formed the Empire, the elves reluctantly allowed them to become Dragon Riders. However, there were some elves who believed that humans were too weak and petty to be granted such a gift and it seemed that Arya was one of these, for the elvish princess argued strongly against humans being Dragon Riders. Using supreme elvish logic against Eragon's hotheadedness, this wound up into a titanic debate consisting of much yelling and shaking of fists.

Since it was in the arena, they gathered quite a crowd of elves and the human guards who had accompanied them. The argument got so bad that they even pulled out their swords against each other, Eragon brandished his flame-prone Brisingr and Arya her green elvish blade. They were just about to launch an attack when their weapons got knocked out of their hands by Saphira's tail which in turn slammed into the ground between them forming a miniature canyon, forcing them to separate.

Being a dragon and Eragon's dragon at that, Saphira forced them to apologize to each other and end the foolish argument. They did so reluctantly, red-faced and panting, eyes ablaze with anger and vows of revenge. Ever so reluctantly, they parted ways and Eragon thankfully never saw the elf again. In fact, he never even _wanted_ to see her again. But fate seemed to conspire against him for now he was fated to marry the woman. So far, the only thing he could console himself with was that Arya hated him also so at least she would get no joy out of the union.

_Oh please, Little One!_ Saphira chuckled from beneath him as they flew easily through the darkened sky. _It can't be that bad. At least she is good to look upon and no simple woman._

_I'd almost prefer a simple fool than her!_ Eragon snorted in derision. _Think about it, Saph. I'll be the laughing stock of the palace when word gets out. I'd never hear the end of it from Murtagh or Nasuada! Not even Roran way off in the County of Carvahal would let this pass._

Much to Eragon's annoyance, Saphira only chuckled emanating a puff of smoke.

_Speaking of your cousin,_ Saphira began. _How is he doing right now? I hear he is betrothed to Lady Katrina?_

_Ah, yes,_ Eragon replied allowing a faint smile. _I just scryed Roran not long ago upon returning from training. He gives you his regards and says that his father Garrow, the Earl of Carvahal, is doing well. As for his betrothed, that rumor is also true and we got a good laugh out if it. Seems as if love at first sight works out for some people. I do not know what Duke Sloan thinks of the arrangement though as Roran is not on speaking terms with him. I guess it's the whole protective father thing coming out in full force._

_True,_ Saphira agreed. _I think they are a good match though. The people of Carvahal love Lady Katrina just as much as she seems to love Lord Roran. They would make a cute couple._

_Shame the same thing couldn't be said about the princess and I,_ Eragon grumbled.

_What about Murtagh and Nasuada?_ Saphira asked, trying to change the subject. _I have not seen them in some time due to our training at the Vroengard. _

_They are well too, _Eragon replied. _I think they are a little too well in my absence for they were sitting next to each other when I found them in the North Tower._

_Is that jealousy I sense? _Saphira asked mischievously.

Eragon blushed furiously and clenched Saphira's saddle.

_No, of course not, Saph!_ He stammered. _Nasuada is just a friend and besides, I think that she has feelings for Murtagh who appears to fancy her in return._

_My, my!_ Saphira said thoughtfully. _It does seem like love is in the air._

_Aye,_ Eragon acknowledged a trifle sadly. _They would be good for each other, especially since Nasuada seems to have a knack for calming Murtagh down after he escapes one of his father's tantrums._

Eragon winced as he felt a flare of anger burst within Saphira from the Dragon Rider bond.

_That Lord Morzan better watch his temper!_ She growled. _He bothers me, that one. Something is not right about him._

_Now, now, Saphira, _Eragon chided. _No need to get upset at him just because he doesn't swoon in your presence._

_Doesn't swoon?_ Saphira roared. _He called me a fat, useless, over-grown lizard! Sometimes I think that man is league with the Fallen One. He is far too cocky for his own good._

_True that, _Eragon agreed with a dry, humorless grin. _He should know better than to anger a dragon._

_At least you have some sense, Little One,_ Saphira sighed.

_Why, thank you,_ Eragon replied this time with a warm smile.

Wanting to show his gratitude fully, he did what he knew Saphira enjoyed and scratched the scales behind her ears gently and lovingly. The Dragon Rider could tell Saphira liked it for she broke out into a low hum and her muscles relaxed beneath him. Eragon felt himself calm down and he could almost forget about the arranged marriage with him and that obnoxious elf princess.

Suddenly, a thought struck him and Eragon almost panicked.

_Saphira!_ He yelped, running a hand through his tousled brown hair. _It's late and we should head back. My parents will be worried sick about us._

_Don't get mad at me!_ Saphira snapped. _Running away for a breather was your big idea._

_Well yes,_ Eragon retorted. _I merely wanted to calm down a bit after shouting at my parents. I didn't want to fly halfway across the Empire and into Urgal territory._

_Oh, please!_ Saphira scoffed. _We're not in Urgal territory for Bid'daum's sake!_

_Do not use the name of the first dragon to be tamed to curse ever!_ Eragon shot back.

_Well what can I use?_ Saphira whined. _We do not believe in gods and there's nothing else..._

_Wait!_ Eragon said sharply, as his enhanced vision caught sight of something. _What is that?_

_What is what?_ Saphira asked in obvious confusion.

Heaving a sigh, Eragon used his powers as a Dragon Rider to look through Saphira's eyes. Using this enhanced vision, he directed Saphira's consciousness to the flicker of motion that he saw in between the snowy pine trees far down bellow. They had been flying for hours and aimlessly so they must have wandered farther away than they intended to, for they were now flying over this winter woodland.

Looking where he guided her to, Saphira strained her eyes and caught sight of what Eragon saw. It was only a faint flicker of motion, nothing more than a blur. But something worried her about it, so she picked up the pace and spiraled towards the blur to get a better look. It was probably nothing, perhaps just some wild animal frolicking through the woods. But it was best to get a better look.

After a few tense minutes of flying, Saphira paused and hovered in mid air – her keen dragon sight scanning the snow-covered forest. The dragon and rider were flying low enough to see what the cause for distress was, but high enough to avoid being spotted by a creature bellow. Of course, there were other Dragon Riders to worry about but the ancient treaty maintained the peace between them. Sadly, that treaty did not extend to other races such as elves, humans, dwarves, or even the brutish Urgals who were more like beasts than anything.

Speaking of which, Eragon's brow furrowed in worry as he saw the vague forms of about a score of Urgals surging through the woods. Saphira flew a little lower, so Eragon was able to discern that they were wielding typical Urgal weapons consisting of spiked clubs, short swords, staves, and pikes all crudely fashioned out of iron. Urgals were much stronger than humans and only elves matched their superior strength.

They were human in appearance aside from their dog-like faces and the curled horns that sprouted from their forehead. Typically, Urgals wore no clothes whilst in battle. Instead, they were covered from head to toe in blue and red war paint which was drawn in traditional Urgal patterns in an attempt to make their enemies cower in fear during battle. Unfortunately for the Urgals, their current enemy did not succumb to physic warfare.

While Eragon was too high up to tell who it was, the being the Urgals chased was obviously human in form. It was vaguely woman in appearance and the female wore a silver grey cloak to help her blend in with her surroundings. The stallion she road on was a fine white beast and looked both strong and brave. Oddly enough, the woman road the horse without a saddle and seemed most comfortable with that arrangement. In fact, she did not even use reins or a bridle to guide the horse.

Eragon frowned thoughtfully and then shook off such thoughts. The woman bore no weapons but did not seem weak. Still, he could hardly tell up here whether or not she needed help. Besides, his gut instinct told him he should lend her a hand. The only problem was that the narrow gaps between the trees made it difficult for Saphira to land since she was a large, fully-grown dragon. But Eragon could fit and Saphira could cause some considerable damage from the air. She could also get reinforcements for him if she dropped him off in the woods.

After a second thought, the young prince scanned the countryside until his eyes settled on a small lake that branched out of the Ninor River. There was a relatively wide beach which was big enough for Saphira to land on. Eragon broadcasted his thoughts to Saphira who agreed. But first, she tucked in her wings and zoomed through the woods letting out a furious roar. Birds took to the air from the trees and all the Urgals froze. Eragon's lips curled up into a feral grin and he unsheathed Brisingr, eager for a fight.

After casting wards on Saphira to protect her from missiles and harm, the powerful azure she-dragon flew through zoomed through the trees letting loose a torrent of flames while she was at it. Thankfully, none of the trees caught fire but a few of the Urgals did and they screamed in pain as they got burnt to death. Eragon reveled in the destruction that his powerful she-dragon caused, and let all his anger and rage at his parents' decision boil to the surface. Normally, he would have just used the twelve words of death in the Ancient Language, the tongue of magic, but he wanted to get all the anger and fury out of his system.

So it was that he loosened his saddle and prepared to jump. He sucked in a deep breath as Saphira swooped low again, winding through the trees like the queen of the sky. He let out a whoop of triumph and punched a fist in the air as she picked up two unsuspecting Urgals with her powerful foreclaws. A sickening crunch informed him of their deaths and they hung limp in Saphira's paws, even as she dropped them on top of their fellows all of which were charging about in confusion. But some were smarter and tried to launch their weapons into the air at Saphira.

Their plan failed though, for Saphira merely twisted around a tree and avoided the missiles. Signaling his departure, Eragon leapt off Saphira's back and dove into the fray. Letting out a roar of his own, he lashed out with his sword. Brisingr was a magical blade, being made by the famous elvish sword-smith Rhunön. When he decided he would call it Brisingr after his favorite spell word in the Ancient Language, Eragon and Rhunön were surprised to watch the sword's blade burst into blue flames. All it took was the sword's name again and the fire was put out.

As Eragon's luck would have it, this lasted even after the sword was finished. But thankfully, Eragon was a powerful spell-caster in his own right, being a Dragon Rider, and could maintain the flames on his sword for about an hour at least. Since he was feeling especially angry and wanted to enjoy a good fight, he kept the spell on for the first short while invoking terror in the simple minds of the brutish Urgals. Still, they were a proud and fierce race, famous for their warmongering and battle lust.

They possessed a berserker rage when in battle and if Eragon was not a Dragon Rider, he probably would never survive the fury of twenty of them. But he did have Saphira who was winging her way to the trees ready to swoop in and pluck him out of the hot zone at a moment's notice should things turn sour. He was a keen warrior in his own right though and was famous for being the best, youngest warrior in the land, one of them anyways.

Giving himself a mental shake, he forced himself to concentrate on the Urgals some of which were struggling to pull the cloaked woman off her horse. Just then, a cowardly Urgal smote the stallion in the belly with a machete and let out a howl of triumph. The horse screamed in pain and collapsed, blood spraying everywhere. Eragon's eyes flashed in rage as the Urgals bellowed in glee and swarmed to the woman, trying to pull her off the deceased animal.

Putting all of his rage and strength into the fight, Eragon renewed his effort and charged forward hacking and slashing as he went. Urgals screamed in shock and pain as they fell to his death blows. They turned around reluctantly and tried to slay him with their crude, barbaric weapons but he was too swift and clever for them and easily avoided their panicked, frenzied assaults. Blood splashed everywhere, drenching Eragon in red droplets only visible by the full moon hanging low in the sky.

Eventually, Eragon stood alone panting for breath. The red werelight of his sword lit up a ghastly scene of death and carnage. A heap of smoldering, twisted bodies was scattered through the trees and Eragon gagged as he came to himself, his battle rage abating gradually. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and hoarsely whispered his sword's name, extinguishing the eerie blue flames. He had enough light to see by from the dead Urgals most of which were burning low in the darkness.

Thankfully, it was winter otherwise the whole forest would have been set on fire. Taking another deep breath, he stood up from where he had been crouching and ran a hand raggedly through his tousled brown hair taking in the scene before him and searching swiftly for any signs of danger. When he spotted none, he glanced down at himself and grimaced in disgust to see him covered from head to toe in thick Urgal blood. Some of it was his own but that was only due to a few minor cuts and scratches when the crude Urgal weapons grazed him lightly.

Wiping Brisingr on a fallen, flameless Urgal, Eragon sheathed his sword. It wasn't fully clean but it would have to do for now. Taking in deep gulps of air, he glanced around for the woman he had come to rescue and was surprised to realize that she wasn't there. At first, panic gripped him as he worried if she was killed or taken away by an Urgal when he was distracted. But a quick body count told him that all were present. Wanting to be sure, Eragon double-checked and his heart leapt into his throat.

All?

No.

All but one blasted Urgal lay dead in a heap of burning bodies, upon a blanket of blood-stained snow and fallen pine needles. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he used his enhanced Dragon Rider senses and scanned the dimly-lit forest floor for footprints. At first, he could see nothing of use since most were of heavy Urgal feet and in a myriad of chaos and confusion. His own were there, but no woman's feet.

Just when he was about to give up and make his way to the beach, he suddenly spotted a faint trail of feet imprints winding their way haphazardly through the snow towards none other than the lake. Eragon frowned thoughtfully. It was obvious that the woman had escaped in the confusion of battle and thought to flee to the lake in the hopes of hiding her tracks. That was smart, but she clearly hadn't suspected an Urgal would follow her when they were all fighting an enraged Dragon Rider.

Cursing, he unsheathed Brisingr and cast a spell to silence his footsteps. So far, he could see nothing but the beach was a short distance away and perhaps Saphira had slain the Urgal who ran after the woman. Praying to whatever gods existed for help, he darted through the mangled, burning bodies and tried to ignore the smell of blood and death that wafted up to his sensitive nostrils. Drops of blood, sweat, and grime fell off him onto the forest floor as Eragon ran.

But he paid them no head. Instead, he raced to the beach, ghosting through the woods like a wraith. At last, he arrived at the beach and skidded to a halt. A couple meters of silver sand wound its way along the black choppy waters of the small lake that broke off from the main river. Much to his dismay, he did not see Saphira who was supposed to meet up with him there. He glanced up at the sky and was distressed to see that she was not there either.

He would have called for her through their bond, but he was shaken out of his thoughts by a sharp intake of breath. His gaze snapped into that direction hoping it was Saphira. His heart sank when he saw that it was not his precious she-dragon. Instead, it was the one blasted Urgal who was holding the mysterious cloaked woman hostage.

Eragon's blood boiled in fury and his eyes flashed dangerously as he saw the savage brute holding the taught form of the woman with one arm. Every single muscle of the woman's body was tense and although her face was a mask of impassiveness, it seemed to Eragon that she cried out for help. Unfortunately for the both of them, the stupid Urgal was holding a wickedly curved knife to her throat. His lips were twisted into a demonic sneer and his eyes lit up in glee.

"Drop your weapon!" The Urgal barked.

At first, Eragon was frozen with stunned surprise but then the gears of his mind turned and an idea clicked into place. It was reckless to say the least and downright foolish, but he had no other choice. Breathing a mental sigh, he braced himself to enact the plan and forced a cocky grin and an unfazed look in his brown eyes. As he suspected, his casual, carefree reaction startled the Urgal.

"Sword on the ground or the wench dies," The Urgal spat.

"How about you first?" Eragon quipped with a smirk.

Both the Urgal and woman were so shocked that at his response that the Urgal momentarily loosened his grip on his hostage. Before the beast could react, Eragon swiftly chanted "kveykva" and shot out his palm. In a split second, a beam of white fork lightning, crackling with magical power, burst forth from his hand and struck the Urgal in the head. The Urgal froze, pure shock etched into his face. The damsel in distressed seemed just as surprised if not more so as the lightning abated and the Urgal fell limp, sinking into the embrace of death even before he could scream.

Smirking at his success, Eragon sheathed his sword and strode over to the woman who had resumed her impassive expression. Just as Eragon expected to be flung into an embrace of gratitude, he froze as he felt a blade pressed to his throat. Eragon's eyes widened as he glanced down and saw that the woman was holding the Urgal's dagger to _his _throat.

"Who are you and what do you want?" The woman demanded, her eyes flashing with fury.

Eragon got a sinking feeling of dread as a closer look revealed that they were green eyes, familiar green eyes.

"I am Prince Eragon of the Empire of Alagaësia," He said softly but firmly. "My father are the King and Queen of the humans and they will put your head on a spike if you dare to harm me, regardless of your gender or race and especially after I rescued you from those devils. Therefore, I believe it is my right to be asking you that question. So let's try that again, shall we? Who are _you_ and what do _you_ want?"

During his angry tirade, Eragon had noticed the woman's expression flicker from that of anger to disbelief and then anger intensified one hundred times over. He struggled to calm himself and wracked his brain for any ideas on who this woman was. But nothing could prepare himself for the woman's answer and if he wasn't so angry, or not a Dragon Rider, he would have passed out from the shock and stress of the situation. Needless to say, he was stunned into silence when the woman spoke.

"My name is Arya Drottningu, princess of King Evandar and Queen Islanzadí, and heir to the Throne of the Elves," The woman said heatedly. "And what in damnation are you doing out here?"

When Eragon realised what the woman, no elf maiden, had just said, only one thing filled his boggled mind.

_Shit!_

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N:** So...how was Chapter 1? Was it okay or much too painful to read? Should I continue this? And if so, how soon should Eragon and Arya start to fall for each other? I really appreciate your honest opinion of this story even if it sucks. Your reviews mean a lot to me and will push this story forward. Since it was mainly a plot-bunny typed up to get it out of my head, I doubt I will write anymore but I do have a few ideas so do stay tuned for more to come. And, of course, please review as I thrive on your comments and it would really make my day.

Thanks for reading!


	2. A Tentative Truce

**Disclaimer:** I still do not own the _Inheritance Cycle_. The entire franchise belongs to its rightful owners – Christopher Paolini, Random House (publishing company, I believe), certain movie studios and a video game company the latter two of which I am much too lazy to be bothered with looking up. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended. This is merely written to kill time on my part and give you guys something (hopefully) fun and enjoyable to read in your spare time.

**Author's Note:** Wow! I feel so honoured that I got twelve reviews even if half of them were anonymous. I naturally prefer signed reviews but nameless reviews are not discouraged. Likewise, I was relieved that I didn't get a load of hate-mail from AxE fans as I originally thought I would because of the fact that Eragon and Arya initially hate each other's guts in this fic. Don't worry though as they will fall for each other eventually but not right away. That much I promise!

Anyhow, enough rambling. I don't really have anything else to say other then thank you for the reviews and that I feel like such a nerd writing this chapter on New Year's Day. But it's still a weak end giving me some more spare time to fill. Thus, I decided to write this chapter while it was still fresh in my mind and you all seemed to like the fanfic so I hope this lives up to your expectations. So now without any further ado, allow me to present you with the second chapter of "An Arranged Marriage!"

**Chapter 2:** A Tentative Truce

Eragon stood frozen from shock and disbelief as he stared into the now, all-too-familiar emerald green eyes of his elvish nemesis, Arya Drottningu. Covered from head to toe in blood, sweat, and grime, the Crown Prince was not feeling so regal now as his chest heaved from excursion, his adrenalin rush slowly fading. His tousled brown hair was thoroughly matted and tangled, and a faint, repugnant smell wafted up his nostrils. All in all, Eragon was a wreck.

Why did he have to bump into his nemesis now of all times? Why did fate seem to hate him so? Heaving a sigh, Eragon closed his eyes and took in a deep breath struggling to calm himself. When he reluctantly opened his eyes, he realised that Arya was still in front of him and this wasn't all just a bad dream. Noticing that the Urgal dagger was still tucked neatly under his throat and that Saphira was nowhere in sight, Eragon decided to play it safe and answer the question she asked him with one of his own. Trying his best to exude a relaxed and confident image, he gave the elf a cocky smile and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I could ask you the same thing," He drawled.

Arya's eyes flashed and the dagger pressed tighter under his chin, making him stifle a shudder against the cold feel of iron.

"My purpose out here in the forest is none of your business," Arya hissed. "Now I ask you again, why are you out here in the wilderness and not back home in your palace with your mother and father?"

If it weren't for the fact that the elf spoke so sophisticatedly and in such a calm and smooth tone, Eragon could have sworn that was meant to be an insult and he would have been offended. But right now, he was simply too tired after fighting and felt like a mess. He just wanted to clean up, go back home, and forget this ever happened.

"Since you insist," Eragon sighed. "I came out here with Saphira for some peace and quiet, and to calm my frazzled nerves."

Arya arched an eyebrow inquisitively, prompting him to explain further. Blood rushed to his cheeks and Eragon squirmed when he realised what he'd have to say.

"I just returned from my training at the Vroengard to the palace," Eragon began, scowling as frustration resurfaced. "When my parents informed me of our _arranged marriage._ Surely you have heard of the intended alliance between both our parents to make peace between the elves and humans against some impending doom?"

That seemed to touch a nerve, for Arya flinched and glared daggers at him making Eragon smirk broadly.

"I see you have," He chuckled. "And my initial theory was correct in that you are not pleased with the engagement either. Well, at least I shall have my revenge that way."

"Or I could just slit your throat and end the alliance all together," Arya growled.

Eragon winced as he saw her eyes filled with fury and her lips tight with barely controlled rage.

"True," Eragon reluctantly admitted. "But then you would get cheated of your vengeance for you would merely be doing me the favour of preventing me from having to suffer marriage to you." 

He basked in glee inwardly when Arya sucked in a deep breath, evidently trying her best to remain calm.

"Well then it seems we have reached a stalemate," The elf stated sullenly.

That statement threw Eragon off-guard. He had braced himself for another retort. Then again, he had rescued the elf from a horrible fate with the Urgals so he supposed that helped win her over a bit. Still, the young Dragon Rider wondered why she was even being chased in the first place. Arya was decades of years older than him and far more efficient at magic and swordplay. Even unarmed, she was much stronger than a human and an adept warrior.

She could have easily beaten the Urgals or least found a way to escape them. Something must have been on her mind to distract her so otherwise he would not have the hero card to play. Eragon frowned thoughtfully as he puzzled over the mystery. Was it the stupid wedding that put Arya into this state? He never knew that elves would lose control so much. They usually guarded their emotions exceptionally. Something big must have happened to bring her to this state. But what was it?

"If you do not mind me asking, _princess,_" Eragon said reluctantly. "Why are you out here? Having rescued you from the Urgals, I do believe it is my right to know."

Arya glared at him but finally lowered her dagger. Eragon let his shoulders sag in relief but kept his body stance ready for a fight at a moment's notice, should the elf feel the need to disembowel him or some such reaction take place. Much to Eragon's surprise, the elf's face softened and she actually seemed to visibly relax as well.

"I suppose," She admitted. "But never call me _princess._ That is a title I hate."

"Really?" Eragon asked slowly with a sly grin. "But _princess_ sounds like such a pretty title when annexed to your name."

Arya looked stunned for a moment but then glared when she realised he was mocking her.

"I am warning you, manling," Arya said steely. "Do not tempt my wrath or the full fury of the elves shall be thrust upon you."

Eragon rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Fine, fine," He said, waving his hand dismissively. "I shall not call you that again, but at least tell me why you are out here. It seems a strange coincidence that I bump into and rescue the very thing, no _person,_ that I was running away from in the first place."

Arya sighed and nodded her head slightly.

"Very well," She said. "As much as I hate to admit it, I was on my way with an elvish envoy to Ilerea."

Eragon's eyebrows shot up at the implications and Arya nodded sourly much to his amusement.

"But then the envoy fell prey to an ambush by the Urgals," Arya continued, her fists clenching and her voice growing grave. "My father was coming with me for the wedding as my mother had to stay behind to rule the elves in his absence. Then the elvish guards were attacked by the Urgals who were lead by a Shade. My father forced me to escape and ride for Ilerea where I was to report this to the king.

"I managed to watch the ambush for a few moments. All I saw was many elves falling prey to the ambush and the Shade personally attack my father. I know not what happened hence and was afraid for my life so I took one of the horses and escaped. After a few hours I thought I was safe but then the Urgals followed me. With the ambush still fresh in my mind, I was ready to face my end when you showed up and here we are."

And with that, Arya fell silent leaving Eragon shuffling awkwardly on his feet. If it had been anyone else telling him a story like that, he would have accused them of lying but Arya's tale did hold some merit. That would explain why she made a mad dash for freedom instead of trying to fight back. Upon second thoughts, he recalled that his father had told him an envoy with Arya and King Evandar, of the elves, would arrive in three days time backing up the elf's story again.

What's more, elves were known for rarely lying. True they were masters at deceit and often spoke in riddles, but Eragon simply _knew_ that the princess would never lie about something so serious. Certainly not now. There was their mutual hatred for each other to consider but why would Arya go through such great lengths to end their arranged marriage? It was just illogical and that argument was full of holes.

The more he thought about it, Eragon suddenly felt much more depressed than he had been. Saphira still hadn't shown up and he was worried. Perhaps she was taking care of the Shade or had gone back to Ilerea to call for reinforcements. Whatever the case, he needed to find out what had happened to her and that would mean he needed to reach some sort of agreement with the elf. He hated himself for even considering it but after what happened, he could not deny the fact that they had to work together.

"Interesting tale," Eragon said emotionlessly. "You could very well be lying through your teeth, but I am too tired to care right now. So for the time being, I suggest we make a temporary truce, a peace pact if you will. After I find out where Saphira is, we can seek out what happened to your father and return to Ilerea or your home. Saphira can fly from above and help out when needed. Agreed?"

Her jaw clenched in obvious lack of enthusiasm for Eragon's impromptu plan, the elf princess stuck out her hand to shake on the truce. Shaking off any doubts of his own, Eragon clasped her hand and shook it marvelling momentarily at how soft and warm it felt. It was actually pleasant to hold, or would have been had she been any other woman. Giving himself a mental shake, Eragon ended the awkward moment and pulled his hand away, letting both his hands fall to the side.

"Then if you would excuse me, I must find out what has happened to Saphira," Eragon said.

Arya merely nodded, her face returning to a mask of impassiveness. On her, Eragon preferred it to the steely glare that would otherwise be directed at him. Swearing under his breath, he stumbled a few paces away for some semblance of privacy and sank to his knees breathing deeply as he did so.

_Saphira?_ Eragon asked. _Where are you? _

Worry seeped into Eragon's mind when he heard nothing and felt nothing. Coming to think of it, the whole woods were awfully quiet. It was much too unnatural for him, and made him shudder in fear. Not wanting to give into defeat though, he tried again.

_SAPHIRA!_ He roared this time.

Still nothing. Eragon groaned and clenched his fist as he felt a sinking feeling of dread well up within him. Saphira was out of reach for some reason but perhaps he could scry her location. Reluctantly opening his eyes, he stood up and marched over to the beach. Arya followed behind him with a questioning look in her eyes but was otherwise silent, thankfully. Eragon didn't think he could handle another snide remark from that obnoxious elf at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, he knelt down before the black waves that lapped carelessly against the silver shores. Although it came out as more harsh than he intended, Eragon chanted the spell to scry his dragon. Arya knelt beside him a couple feet off and glanced curiously in the scrying pool that formed in swirls in the waves.

At first, nothing happened and Eragon was getting seriously worried. Everything was pitch black just like the waves which was a sign meaning that someone had put up a ward preventing Saphira from being scryed or that she had dead. But she was not dead. She couldn't be. Eragon would have gone insane if she was. Then again, perhaps she had died for Eragon would never normally make a peace pact with the elf he hated the most in the world. What was happening to him?

At long last, an image flickered into being and Eragon started to see a man appear in the scrying pool from the chest up. Upon hearing a sharp intake of breath, Eragon glanced over his shoulder to see Arya's face white with shock and her emerald green eyes filling with rage.

Thankfully, the look was directed to the scrying pool and not to Eragon. Looking back at this person, Eragon was puzzled to see that it was a man with sickly pale skin, blood-red eyes, and flaming purple hair. The man grinned evilly at Eragon, revealing all his teeth to be filed into perfectly triangular points. He wore a black robe and was in some kind of stone room lit up by torches.

"Greetings, Prince Eragon, Princess Arya," The man said with a nod to each of them.

But even if his voice hadn't been dripping with sarcasm, Eragon could have easily tell he was only feigning a polite attitude to antagonize them.

"What a pleasant surprise," The strange-looking man continued, his eyes bright with a fierce glee. "Although I must say that while I was not expecting you so soon, it is awful nice to see you at last. King Evandar and Saphira have told me a lot about you two."

"What?" Eragon exclaimed incredulously. "What could you possibly mean? Saphira was with me. She did not go to rescue King Evandar! Or..."

"Or did she?" The pale man asked rhetorically in a mocking tone of voice. "You can ask her for yourself if you wish."

So saying, the man stepped out of the scrying vision and Eragon's heart lurched as he saw Saphira. She was in the far back of the room which was oddly angled to fit the line of sight in the scrying chamber. Eragon was horrified to see that she was utterly tired and looked exceptionally week. Several ugly burns and blood-stained gashes marred her stunning azure scales and she was chained to the wall by several chains and collars, all of which glowed with an eerie green tint.

_Eragon,_ Saphira croaked, her voice barely audible.

_Saphira!_ Eragon rejoiced. _What has happened to you? Are you alright?_

_I am so sorry, Little One,_ Saphira said hoarsely. _I meant to wait for you at the beach but something made me fly a few miles north while you were fighting and I caught sight of the ambush. There was a wide clearing that flanked each side of the road the elvish envoy was following. I tried to help but..._

_Hush, Saph, _Eragon said sadly, his eyes stinging with tears. _This is all my fault. I should never have run away like that. Now you are captured and..._

A harsh, maniacal laughter rippled out of the scrying pool making Eragon's blood boil.

"What have you done with her you bastard?" Eragon shouted as the devilish man reappeared, blocking Saphira.

"Only locked her up for her own safety, the feisty creature," The man said waving his hand dismissively. "And Arya, I would let you have some daddy time but I am running out of time on my own. Being a Shade is hard work you know and when duty calls a man must adhere to it."

Eragon's mind reeled. _A Shade? _

Glancing over wearily at Arya he saw that she was frozen in shock and anger, her fists clenched and body taught, again.

"Why are you doing this?" Eragon asked, directing his attention back to the Shade. "Who are you anyway? Don't you know that pissing off the heirs of the two most powerful kingdoms in the realm is a very bad idea?"

"Not so actually," The Shade chuckled. "You are wrong there."

"How?" Eragon growled, sick and tired of the Shade's games.

"It's very simple really," The Shade said. "Once the elf queen learns that her husband has died at the hands of you, she will withdraw her daughter and might even attack the Empire. In the meanwhile, you will be shamed and most likely made an outcast for what you have done. To avoid an execution, you shall run away and live as an outlaw hunted down for the treason you committed. Or you could do it the easy way."

"And that is?" Eragon hissed, fighting a losing war to remain calm.

"You and the elf journey to the location I give you and swear an oath in the Ancient Language to tell no one of what happened," The Shade explained calmly. "Once you get there, you shall hand over control of your bond with Saphira to me, effectively making me her Rider. Subsequently, you will be driven insane and might even attack your precious betrothed. Then the elf queen will still end the alliance and it will all be for naught. Either way, I shall win."

"Why are you doing this?" Eragon ground out.

"Simple," The Shade said dismissively. "There are a few people I wish to gain revenge over and I have always wanted to be a Dragon Rider. That is all you need to know. So shall we do it the easy way or the hard way?"

"One moment please," Eragon muttered.

"Of course," The Shade said easily. "Take all the time in the world."

Swearing an oath under his breath, Eragon turned to Arya who had regained her mask of impassiveness once again. She seemed to be deep in thought and turned to Eragon as he looked at her, quickly casting a ward so that they could speak unheard of by their enemy.

"Well?" He asked testily. "What should we do? Do we have any hope of going against the Shade's wishes?"

"No," Arya said. "And even if we told someone, he would find out and murder my father and your dragon. I know of Shades. They are very sly and cunning. For him to have captured a dragon so easily and the king of the elves on top of that, he must be very powerful indeed. So no, we must do as he wishes. Besides, if we go to the location he spoke of perhaps we can rescue my father and your dragon."

"True," Eragon agreed. "But my parents will be worried sick about me as would yours. For all we know, the alliance has already been terminated and our races are at war with each other."

"Even for humans I doubt your parents are that foolish," Arya said snarkily, making Eragon bristle. "And I know my mother would not jump to conclusions so easily. It is a shame we cannot contact them or else we could have come up with a better plan."

"Fine," Eragon sighed. "So we do it the easy way."

"Agreed," Arya said with a bob of her head.

Shaking his head, Eragon candled the silencing spell and returned to the Shade who was still waiting for them in the scrying pool. Upon seeing Eragon again his face split into a toothy grin.

"So have you decided?" He sneered. 

"Yes," Eragon said. "We will meet you at a location of your choice and I shall hand over control over Saphira's bond to you once I get there."

The Shade's grin got wider if at all possible.

"Swear it," The Shade barked.

Eragon hated himself from that moment on but he reluctantly complied and felt like a traitor already when the oath was finished.

"Very good," The Shade crooned. "It looks as if even the reckless prince of the Empire can be trained to follow orders. Very good. And now, the location. Meet me at Sharktooth Island, just off the coast. I shall be waiting for you and have all the time in the world to do so."

"Sharktooth Island?" Eragon asked in confusion. "Why there? That's just a fishing village."

"No more questions," The Shade spat. "Too much time has been wasted already. I must go now, _prince_. Do give my regards to your lady love and do not try to trick me out of your oath. I am a master of deceit."

And with that ominous warning, the Shade snapped his fingers and even before Eragon could so much as blink, the spell ended in a flash leaving him alone with Arya and ten times more angry than before.

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N:** Ta-da! Chapter 2 as promised. I was actually surprised with myself since I didn't expect to write this chapter, but look what happened anyway? Well, moving on how was the update? Was it okay or too painful to read? This was more of a filler chapter but action is going to happen soon, so do stay tuned as I have several more chapters planned out for this fanfic. Once again, I thank you for your reviews and comments or PM's (if you prefer the latter) are always appreciated.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Plans and Preparations

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Eragon or the Inheritance! Both belong to Christopher Paolini, Random House, and a bunch of other people. No copyright infringement is at all intended; this is merely for mine and my reader's hopeful enjoyment.

**Author's Note:** First of all, I wish to thank each and every one of you for reviewing. I was overjoyed to get a major 31 reviews for a measly two chapters. As for chapter two, I'll admit that it was a little far-fetched and unrealistic but I had my reasoning and most of it should be explained in the chapter bellow. So do read on and continue to leave more insightful feedback as I really appreciate it. And now, onto the chapter!

**Chapter 3:** Plans and Preparations

When Eragon looked at Arya again he gulped to see her face white with fury.

"You made me betray my father!" She hissed. "I wish I had slit your throat when I had the chance."

Eragon did his best to restrain himself.

"I rescued you, elf!" He asked incredulously. "And all I get is a dagger under my chin? What possessed you to attack me like that?"

"I didn't know you were the blasted prince!" Arya protested imperiously. "You were drenched in blood, sweat, and grime. Your dragon was nowhere to be seen. Shows that I was right about humans not being fit to be Dragon Riders."

"Oh, please!" Eragon groaned. "Not this again. Why must you bring it up every single time? We went over this already." 

"Well if you clearly had more control over your dragon she would not have ran off like that and we would not be in this mess," Arya scoffed, a look of utter contempt on her face. "I sometimes wonder why we elves revealed the bond in the first place."

"Because you recognized us as a rising threat," Eragon drawled. "Besides, dragons are not meant to be controlled. You of all people should know that!"

"I never meant that they should be controlled, fool!" Arya spat. "I just said. Oh, never mind. You're incorrigible!"

Eragon bristled at her rather harsh remark but they were both angry and uptight so he really couldn't blame the elf. It's not that he sympathized with her, but she had just been through a harrowing and unbelievable experience. It was enough to make him keep his cool as much as he didn't want to. So instead of bickering some more, he simply snorted in derision and turned about face back to the lake.

"What are you doing?" Arya asked somewhat curiously but more frustrated.

"Taking a bath perhaps?" Eragon asked sarcastically.

Arya glared at the back of his head and Eragon smirked, simply knowing how the elf would react.

"No, of course not," He chuckled. "I'm scrying the Empire to let them know where they are."

"But you swore in the Ancient Language!" Arya protested in confusion. "The spell would not let you..."

"Who said I was talking to my parents?" Eragon snapped. "They'd make us come back to the palace, dragon or no dragon."

"But I don't understand," Arya ground out.

Eragon sighed.

"Look," He said. "That stupid Shade told us not to tell our parents, right? But what he never thought of saying was to prevent us from telling anyone else. Also, if we tell someone else we'd be more likely to get permission to go after Saphira and King Evandar as opposed to telling my parents who would insist upon our return, regardless of any spell."

Arya closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as if to ward off a headache.

"What I do not understand is how things moved so fast," Arya complained. "It does not make any sense for a Shade, no matter how powerful, to overcome the most famous dragon of the Empire, and the king of the elves, capture both of them, and take them away to some prison. How did the demon do it?"

This time it was Eragon who closed his eyes, but only briefly. He had considered that and had come up with a spur of the moment idea. He hoped he was wrong though because if he was right, it could spell out utter doom for not only the Empire, but also the elves and dwarves. Hells, even the Urgals would not be left alone should his theory come to pass. He was reluctant to share it with Arya though because his idea was very far-fetched and unrealistic.

It could have been just panicked, hasty thinking. The Shade could have sent him a fake vision for all he knew. There were many different spells and magicks that Eragon had yet to learn. Surely something like that could happen? However, he still felt it imperative to tell the elf. No doubt she would shoot his theory full of holes, but better get it out of his head than to have it plague him for a long time. Giving himself a mental shake, Eragon glanced over his shoulder at the elf who was scrutinizing him intensely.

It was now or never, he supposed. Otherwise, he'd be too nervous and embarrassed of his theory to get it out of him. Let the elf laugh, he'd have the last one if his theory was true. And it would probably be the last laugh anyone would ever have.

"Have you heard of Eldunarya?" The young prince blurted out.

Arya's jaw dropped, and Eragon hid a smirk. Clearly, the elf thought the secret of dragons' Heart of Hearts was only known amongst the elves. Oh how wrong she was!

"Of course I have!" She stammered, clearly caught off-guard. "The real question should be have _you_ and furthermore, _how_ have you discovered this prized secret?"

"Be realistic, elf," Eragon sighed, rolling his eyes. "Elves are not the only ones to know such things. I am a dragon rider so I would know about the Eldunarya."

Arya's intense gaze bored deep into his brown eyes as if trying to read his mind. Luckily for the elf, the princess was not using magic to do so otherwise she would have had a nasty surprise. He might have not been such a good fighter compared to an elf, but when it came to the mindscape, he was supreme. Or he liked to think so anyways, he had, after all, yet to find anyone who had entered his mind without his permission. Many people, even some elves, had tried and all had failed.

"As I was saying," Eragon drawled. "I do believe that this Shade has more than one Eldunarya in his possession."

"But...but how?" Arya stammered, shock and fear evident in her eyes. "No one would dare give their Eldunarya to a Shade!"

"Think, Arya," Eragon said tiredly. "A Shade is a being who is possessed by spirits. Some are even so powerful that the common people fear to even speak his name. In fact, Shades are so strong in magic that they can control spirits and, in some cases, even suck a soul right out of the body turning someone into a living dead. Surely you know this."

"Of course I do but what does that have anything to do with the Eldunarya?" Arya hissed.

"I do believe that the Shade either slew some wild dragons and stole their Eldunarya," Eragon explained. "Or he defeated a few Dragon Riders, young ones perhaps, maybe even some still during training, and stole their Eldunarya. Even with a few, it would be easy to overcome a dragon much less an elf king."

"What you say does make sense," Arya breathed. "Although I shudder to admit it lest it really has come to pass. A Shade with the power of multiple Eldunarya would be a true terror indeed. The only question that remains though is how did he transport them across Alagaësia and so fast?" 

"A teleportation spell?" Eragon suggested.

"That spell is not strong enough to transport a Shade, elf, and dragon across half a continent in mere seconds."

"Then that Shade must have a damn big number of Eldunarya," Eragon growled, his eyes darkened.

Arya herself was glaring although not at Eragon but at the swirling black waves where they had scryed him.

"But what _I _do not understand," Eragon said reluctantly. "Is how I could have scryed the Shade. How did he know what precise moment to meet us and talk? It puzzles me."

"Well surely the Shade would have known that you would try to scry your dragon if your bond was blocked," Arya offered. "He must have just been waiting for you." 

"Damn him!" Eragon growled. "I shall rip him limb from limb for what he has done to Saphira."

"You shall have to wait for me to get at him first," Arya said fiercely. "He has my father too."

"We can always fight over who gets the Shade first," Eragon smirked.

Arya's eyes twinkled with anticipation.

"That is perhaps the best thing I have heard you say ever," She remarked.

Eragon bristled while Arya merely chuckled dryly.

"So are we agreed on the plan then?" He asked. "Scry the Empire and then maintain a truce until we get to the Shade?"

Arya's emerald green eyes were full of reluctance but she nodded wordlessly.

"Very well then," Eragon sighed. "I shall scry Lord Jorumdur. He is my father's most trusted advisor and will surely handle this incident the best."

Arya shrugged and plucked at the grass, clearly ending the conversation. Muttering a curse of frustration under his breath at all these events, Eragon took a deep breath and returned to the lake where he promptly scryed Jorumdur. Their conversation took some time and was rather heated as the poor Lord did not wish for the Crown Prince of the Empire to go racing across the continent on some wild goose chase.

But eventually, Jorumdur caved and relented allowing them to depart. He also promised to inform King Brom and Queen Selena and try to keep them from sending out search parties to bring him back. He would, however, send out search parties as Jorumdur did not believe that the Shade could travel so fast (Eragon was forced to keep the Eldunarya a secret) and suspected that the Shade was still at large.

He thought that the Shade sent Eragon a fake image which made sense and was a much better possibility than what they had considered. But why Sharktooth Island? That was so far away and would take months for them to get there. Actually, it was only a few weeks because of their enhanced speed – Eragon's due to him being a dragon rider, and Arya because of her elf heritage. Still, it didn't make sense and bothered Eragon to know end.

Finally, they ended the conversation with Jorumdur looking older and sadder then Eragon had ever seen him. Eragon was feeling pretty miserable himself as the weight of their mission fully sunk into him, but he brutally shoved it away and diverted his attention to more important matters. He first needed a bath and they needed some sleep. But they had both agreed to leave the scene of the battle for somewhere more secure and clean. The flames of the burning, deceased Urgals had died down and thankfully not resulted in a forest fire.

Yet there was still the stink of death there, of burned and smouldering corpses which was not a pleasant campsite. So it was that Eragon set about bathing while Arya set about gathering some food for them. He had had his back turned to her, but had glanced over his shoulder once and was surprised to see her staring at him with a strange expression on her face. But when his eyes met hers, she blushed furiously and darted away making Eragon feel all the more confused and uncertain. But he had more important things to worry about, so he shrugged the oddity off for now and focused on deliberating the best route to Sharktooth Island.

They had a Shade to catch!

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: **So here it is. Hopefully that wasn't as bad as the previous chapter. I really tried my best to explain my reasoning better and I think I did an okay job of it. If you guys have further questions, feel free to PM me and I am more than happy to answer them. Or you can leave them in a review and I'll PM you. Well, that about wraps things up. Do stay tuned for more to future updates...

...And thanks for reading!


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